Union Depot (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Encyclopedia
The Tulsa Union Depot is a former railway station located in Tulsa, Oklahoma
. It was formerly a hub for railway activity in Tulsa, but has since been turned into an office building. The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame is headquartered in the former Depot.
and was considered "the single best PWA symbol of hope for economic recovery during the bleak days of the depression." The Depot was the first central station in the city of Tulsa, and it unified the small Frisco, Katy, and Santa Fe
depots. Upon its completion, a crowd of over 60,000 people came to see the opening ceremonies, which included speeches, singing, dancing, and Indian stomp dancing
. The event was even broadcast on radio. A new locomotive was unveiled, and the locomotive said to have brought the first passenger train into the city (Frisco's "Old 94") was showcased. The depot opened "Tulsa's important front door." At its peak, the depot served 36 trains a day.
Because of declining passenger train travel and the rise of air travel and the Interstate Highway system, the depot was abandoned after hosting its last passenger train in 1967. In 1980, Urban Design Group
and Manhattan Construction (the same company that built the depot in 1931) purchased the depot and, in 1983 after restoring the depot, made it their headquarters and office.
The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame moved to the site in 2007. An agreement is being finalized to give control of the Depot from the Tulsa County Industrial Authority to the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of fame as part of the city's Vision 2025
program.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. It was formerly a hub for railway activity in Tulsa, but has since been turned into an office building. The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame is headquartered in the former Depot.
History
The Depot was built in 1931 by the Public Works AdministrationPublic Works Administration
The Public Works Administration , part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recovery Act in June 1933 in response to the Great Depression...
and was considered "the single best PWA symbol of hope for economic recovery during the bleak days of the depression." The Depot was the first central station in the city of Tulsa, and it unified the small Frisco, Katy, and Santa Fe
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
depots. Upon its completion, a crowd of over 60,000 people came to see the opening ceremonies, which included speeches, singing, dancing, and Indian stomp dancing
Stomp dance
The Stomp Dance is performed by various Eastern Woodland tribes and Native American communities, including the Muscogee, Yuchi, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Delaware, Miami, Caddo, Ottawa, Peoria, Shawnee, Seminole, Natchez, and Seneca-Cayuga tribes...
. The event was even broadcast on radio. A new locomotive was unveiled, and the locomotive said to have brought the first passenger train into the city (Frisco's "Old 94") was showcased. The depot opened "Tulsa's important front door." At its peak, the depot served 36 trains a day.
Because of declining passenger train travel and the rise of air travel and the Interstate Highway system, the depot was abandoned after hosting its last passenger train in 1967. In 1980, Urban Design Group
Urban Design Group
Urban Design Group is professional architectural, interior, planning and urban designservices firm. The firm offers services from their studios in Atlanta, Georgia, and Dallas, Texas. UDG has been recognized by over 100 magazine articles, newspaper pieces, and various design resource books,...
and Manhattan Construction (the same company that built the depot in 1931) purchased the depot and, in 1983 after restoring the depot, made it their headquarters and office.
The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame moved to the site in 2007. An agreement is being finalized to give control of the Depot from the Tulsa County Industrial Authority to the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of fame as part of the city's Vision 2025
Vision 2025
Vision 2025 was a series of four propositions to increase Tulsa County's sales tax rate by $0.01 in order to fund capital improvements and provide economic development incentives....
program.